Why Cristiano Ronaldo has the Upper-Leg (Super-Sculpted) over Lionel Messi

It is one of the most fiercely debated issues besides global warming on this planet, and on Leo’s planet (Argupiter!) as some of his fans point out (dubbing him an Alien!). The Football Industry has been divided into 2 factions. For the aficionados, this has been amusing as well as infuriating since nobody seems to get a definite answer. There are die-hard fans that wouldn’t modify their stance come what may. For example, a Messi faithful would bombast Cristiano even if he scores a bucket full of goals and wins the league for his team. The fan would still hail the Barca forward as the finest. But everyone seems to be wrong here. There should be parameters set to test the greatness of these two modern giants. According to me, the Real Madrid hit-man is a better player overall due to a few crucial factors.

Adaptability is one the biggest factors where CR7 is miles ahead of Messi. Cristiano has tested all waters, and he has not only adapted well but he has excelled everywhere, which is never easy. We have examples like England forward Michael Owen and French striker Nicolas Anelka, who, when they switched to a different country, flopped. Both were prolific goal-scorers in England before their transfers to Spain. We often hear about how styles of football vary from country to country. For example, Italian Football is always about having a rock solid defense. Playing defensive football is the mantra there. So adapting to different styles of football speaks volumes about a player, especially if the player has shone like Ronaldo has. He impressed Sir Alex Ferguson with his trickery, flair and skillful play, which is a norm in Portugal’s Primeira Liga. Ronaldo was prodigious at Sporting. He was promoted from the U-16 team to the first team in a season itself! CR7’s global call came in the form of a trouncing to United (3-1) against Sporting in which he enthralled everyone, including United legends Ferdinand and Neville, who urged Ferguson to sign him. Amidst interest from Liverpool and Arsenal, the Portuguese ace opted to sign for Manchester United. It was a complete overhaul for Ronaldo. A new method, tactics, style, and atmosphere. Football in England demanded physical strength, pace and a resilient heart to face the opposition fans. Cristiano prospered and in style, replaced Beckham with ease, wore the iconic No.7 shirt and tailored his game to precision. Ronaldo scooped countless awards during his 7-year spell at United, winning every imaginable title in England.

Meanwhile Barcelona were rampant in Spain, sweeping every one aside. They won the league 3 consecutive times, shattering all possible records, and at the heart of all this was Leo Messi. The Argentine has been playing against opposition he has been very familiar with. After all, he has been rattling them for the past 9 years now. So there is no question of adaptability. There was no real Messi-Ronaldo debate until Real Madrid came knocking at the Theatre of Dreams to achieve their dream of overpowering Barca. Galacticos had their sights set on Cristiano Ronaldo, and they stunned the world by lodging a gargantuan bid of £80 million! The tongues started wagging. Journalists were picturing duels between Messi-Ronaldo, then the argument rose to who was better! It was like seeing Pele and Maradona play against each other. Ronaldo, a complete player like Pele, is great with the head, has a terrific left-foot and a natural, deadly right-foot, with frightening pace. Messi has an identical stature to Diego Maradona, the same marauding pace, ball glued to his feet. The press started comparing Messi-Ronaldo and till date both have performed well and lived up to the hype.

But Ronaldo’s stats at Real Madrid have attested yet again that he has adjusted to the methodological, technical style of football in Spain without any difficulty. What people have not noticed is that Messi has 231 Goals from 9 Seasons at Barca while Ronaldo has scored 147 Goals in 3 Seasons for Madrid! If we take this into calculation, Cristiano averages 49 goals per season while Messi averages only 25 goals per season! Another factor is the constant peppering of assists by the Spanish duo, Xavi and Iniesta. They are the world’s finest mid-fielders of the present generation, which makes Messi’s job a lot easier. There will and always be 2 question-marks. Number 1: Whether the Argentine wizard could perform without the Spanish duo. Number 2: His adaptability, whether Messi can handle a physically imposing side like Stoke or Newcastle? These questions will only be answered when he leaves Barcelona and he is exposed to a new challenge! So for now, CR7 is better than Messi, as simple as that.